Local groups host meeting to discuss new data center | WHIO-TV
Residents in Piqua, Miami County, Ohio, are protesting a proposed data center, citing concerns about water, light pollution, electricity costs, and property values. Despite Piqua City Council's approval, the opposition group is continuing its efforts, having hired a lawyer and expressing intent to sue the city. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has also placed a statewide pause on data center tax exemptions.
Residents from Piqua and surrounding Miami County, Ohio, recently gathered at a meeting to voice their concerns regarding a proposed data center development. These community groups have been actively campaigning for months, successfully passing petitions aimed at preventing new data centers from being proposed in their region.
The primary concerns raised by the opposition include potential impacts on local waterways, increased light pollution, higher electrical costs, effects on air quality, and negative consequences for property values. Despite these objections, the Piqua City Council has already approved the undisclosed data center proposal, the developer of which remains anonymous due to a non-disclosure agreement.
Concurrently, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has enacted a statewide pause on data center tax exemptions, disallowing new data centers from applying for these incentives. Undeterred by the project's approval, the local groups continue to protest and have hired a lawyer, stating their intention to sue the city for allegedly disregarding their community's concerns during the approval process.